University of New Mexico, 1 University Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, 87110, USA.
University of New Mexico, 1 University Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, 87110, USA.
Sleep Med. 2022 Nov;99:23-29. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2022.07.008. Epub 2022 Jul 20.
Studies conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic have reported increased rates of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [1]. A common symptom of mental illness is change in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the phase of sleep associated with dreaming and nightmares. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of systemic stress on nightmares. In this study, we investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic affects nightmare frequency and content using a web-based survey within the state of New Mexico. The survey returned 197 responses showing an increase in the quantity of both bad dreams and nightmares. Furthermore, significant changes in nightmare themes were reported compared to relative rates prior to the pandemic (RR 1,42, p < 0.01; RR 5, p < 0.001). This novel data supports that increased stress from the COVID-19 pandemic has altered dream and nightmare content and frequency.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间进行的研究报告称，包括抑郁症、焦虑症和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）在内的精神疾病发病率有所上升[1]。精神疾病的一个常见症状是快速眼动（REM）睡眠的变化，这是与做梦和噩梦相关的睡眠阶段。COVID-19 大流行提供了一个独特的机会来评估系统性压力对噩梦的影响。在这项研究中，我们使用新墨西哥州的网络调查来研究 COVID-19 大流行是否会影响噩梦的频率和内容。该调查共收到 197 份回复，显示噩梦和恶梦中的不良梦的数量均有所增加。此外，与大流行前的相对比率相比，噩梦主题发生了显著变化（RR 1.42，p<0.01；RR 5，p<0.001）。这项新数据支持 COVID-19 大流行带来的压力增加改变了梦境和噩梦的内容和频率。
